Surgical Oncology

At APCC, we are dedicated to offering cutting-edge, multidisciplinary treatment of primary metastatic and recurrent tumours. The Surgical Oncology team is a dedicated group of surgeons working closely to provide patients the highest standard of clinical excellence. As per the needs of the patient, our CMTs chalk up a treatment blueprint that includes the following surgeries.

• Diagnostic Surgery: Diagnose cancer through biopsy or determine the stage/extent of the disease.
• Preventive Surgery: Remove body tissue that is likely to become cancerous even though there are no signs of cancer at the time of the surgery.
• Debulking Surgery: Remove some, but not all, of the cancer. This surgery is usually combined with radiation, chemotherapy or other treatments.
• Oncoplastic/Reconstructive Surgery: Improve the way patients look after major cancer surgery. Also used to restore the function of an organ or body part after surgery.
• Palliative Surgery: Improve quality of life by easing pain or discomfort caused by a tumour.

The Apollo Hospitals group has been a leader in the use of laparoscopic and robotic surgery for the management of thoracic, gynaecologic, gastrointestinal, prostate, and other cancers. Our surgeons are actively developing new devices to make operations safer and more effective. Their work is enhanced by the latest software, imaging equipment, and high-definition monitors that our premises offer.

Many of our surgeons now use these technologies to diagnose, and treat various cancers. The approach enhances visualization, allows for a high level of precision, and can reduce the risk of injury.

At APCC, we have adopted a new technique called as Fluorescence Guided Surgery (FGS) to perform lifesaving surgeries to completely remove tumours buried in the hard-to-reach areas of the brain.

In this technique, a special dye is ingested an hour before the surgery which eventually spreads over the patient’s entire body. Highly active cells like tumour cells absorb the dye more as compared to normal cells. The surgeons are then easily able to distinguish the tumour from the healthy areas. This is one of the biggest advantage that FCS provides, as this clear identification enables removal of the tumour with high accuracy. This technique marks a significant progress in the field of Neuro-Oncological surgery as it minimizes the damage to the brain during surgery, and helps avoid post-operative complications.

Among Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs), it is widely recognized that Surgical Site Infections (SSIs) are the most common types of infections to affect patients. There are several factors responsible for SSI including improper hand washing/scrubbing, improper maintenance of sterile/non-sterile zones, improper clothing/masking, etc. But such factors could largely be eliminated by religiously following the OR guidelines. At the same time, good construction of OR, and vertical laminar air flow (Ultra Clean ventilation-UCV) system are also equally important to reduce the number of bacteria/particles count.

One of our main priorities is to prevent infections in ORs. To completely eliminate the threat of SSI, we maintain the highest level of cleanliness & hygiene. To provide ease in cleaning and disinfecting, our ORs have smooth surfaces, flush installed components, and organized workspaces where surgery could be performed in a highly sterile environment at all times.

There are number of ways to construct ORS:

• Conventional brick walls with epoxy coating, or granite/marble on walls, floors.
• Wall Cladding System with anti-bacterial painting carried out at hospital site.
• True Modular, Pre-Fabricated, high end ORs.

Needless to mention that True Modular, Pre-Fabricated Operating Rooms mentioned above are the ones most in demand today. They are either supplied as individual ORs or as a complete Operating Room Department on turnkey basis including scrub areas, sterile/non-sterile corridors, preparation rooms etc. It is the hospital’s choice to opt individual room or the whole OR complex.

The standard scope of supply for True Modular, Pre-fabricated Operating Room is self-supporting structures, SS 304 (NCS) wall system, automated/manual doors, modular ceiling system, Laminar Air Flow (UCV), control panel, digital/analogue X-Ray viewers, flooring, scrub station, and cabinet system. However, several other equipment/components i.e. ceiling supply units, special sandwiched glass windows with roller or motorized venetian blinds, and more may easily be incorporated as per specific requirement. The complete system must be in compliance with respective European directives, DIN-EN, SWKI, ISO standards which ensure the highest quality, safety and reliability of system even after many years of usage.

In such Modular ORs, all the wall mounted equipment/components are flushed within the wall and are not projected outside. Thus cleaning of all the surfaces is quite easy. Fast repair/maintenance and future expandability are the key features of the wall system as the hospital cannot close down ORs for long periods of time.

The initial cost of True Modular ORs may be higher in comparison to other conventional or cladding system but these ORs prove to be economical in the long run. They present a host of benefits in their name: lesser breakdowns, faster repairs, lesser downtime, easy integration of future systems, quality performance of system ensuring better operating results, and faster recovery of patients.